NEW PROTECTIONS for the Tara-Skryne Valley, which would prevent the construction of retail parks and superstores along the route of the M3, have been announced by Minister for the Environment John Gormley.
Mr Gormley said he could not prevent the construction of the motorway near the Hill of Tara, which continues to be the subject of protests by environmental and heritage groups, but he could protect the landscape to prevent inappropriate development.
In conjunction with Meath County Council, Mr Gormley proposed to designate the Tara-Skryne Valley a Special Conservation Area. This would protect the archeological and historic landscape and make it difficult for any construction to take place within the zone. However, Mr Gormley said it would in particular stop the type of large-scale development, such as shopping centres, or retail parks, which have been built along motorways in the past.
“This will ensure that the very negative sort of development associated with motorways will not impinge on the area . . . the sort of motorway development we’ve seen in the past, the BQs, that would not be acceptable.”
The plans for the designation, which has been allocated €50,000 funding from the Department of the Environment and the Heritage Council, will have to be submitted for public consultation and agreed by Meath county councillors before the designation is confirmed. It is likely that the protection will be in place by the middle of next year.
Mr Gormley said he also intended to increase the protection for national monuments in the new National Monument’s Act, which is currently at draft stage.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Showing posts with label Tara. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tara. Show all posts
Sunday, 19 July 2009
Friday, 15 August 2008
TaraWatch against UN heritage status
TARAWATCH, the group campaigning against the route of the M3 motorway in Co Meath, is to oppose efforts to establish Tara as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) world heritage site.
The designation is being sought by Minister for the Environment John Gormley as a means to prevent future development in the vicinity of the Hill of Tara.
Mr Gormley has retained the services of a member of the International Council on Monuments and Sites, the official advisory body to Unesco.
The decision to oppose his efforts was taken after members of TaraWatch attended a Unesco World Heritage convention in Canada recently.
The group said while Tara was "undoubtedly a site of outstanding universal value" worthy of inclusion as a world heritage site, the M3 motorway would "drastically diminish its integrity and value".
TaraWatch also said Ireland has been in breach of the Unesco World Heritage Convention since it signed the convention in 1992 because of the State's failure to nominate Tara before now.
The group is planning a number of activities to oppose the Minister's plan, and is hoping to use Heritage Week, which runs from August 24th to 31st, to highlight its campaign.
Members will also lobby Unesco to require a rerouting of the motorway before its inclusion in the list.
The group said efforts would also be made to rally international support from the World Museums Fund, the World Archaeological Congress and the European Association of Archaeologists, among others.
"We are going to take every possible action, with international support, to oppose the Minister's plan," said spokesman Vincent Salafia.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The designation is being sought by Minister for the Environment John Gormley as a means to prevent future development in the vicinity of the Hill of Tara.
Mr Gormley has retained the services of a member of the International Council on Monuments and Sites, the official advisory body to Unesco.
The decision to oppose his efforts was taken after members of TaraWatch attended a Unesco World Heritage convention in Canada recently.
The group said while Tara was "undoubtedly a site of outstanding universal value" worthy of inclusion as a world heritage site, the M3 motorway would "drastically diminish its integrity and value".
TaraWatch also said Ireland has been in breach of the Unesco World Heritage Convention since it signed the convention in 1992 because of the State's failure to nominate Tara before now.
The group is planning a number of activities to oppose the Minister's plan, and is hoping to use Heritage Week, which runs from August 24th to 31st, to highlight its campaign.
Members will also lobby Unesco to require a rerouting of the motorway before its inclusion in the list.
The group said efforts would also be made to rally international support from the World Museums Fund, the World Archaeological Congress and the European Association of Archaeologists, among others.
"We are going to take every possible action, with international support, to oppose the Minister's plan," said spokesman Vincent Salafia.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Monday, 28 July 2008
Protection plan to be piloted at Tara
A NEW project to protect the landscape and improve planning decisions nationally is to be piloted in the Tara Skryne valley, Co Meath.
The project, which will be carried out by the Heritage Council in conjunction with Meath County Council, will develop a landscape management plan and designate a landscape conservation area.
Initial funding of €25,000 is being provided by the Heritage Council and the local authority. Further funding is expected from the Department of the Environment next year. The end cost is expected to be about €125,000.
The project will begin in the autumn and is expected to be completed in 18 to 24 months. It will examine current and potential land use and develop a plan for the area. The project will have community input and will be led by the county council.
Heritage Council chief executive Michael Starrett described the project as an important step towards the realisation of a national landscape strategy.
“Landscape management is about accommodating change and development. It provides a much more holistic approach than the current model, to planning how we manage and develop the landscape where we live. It enables local communities to play an essential role in managing their own area, and has been very successful when introduced in other European countries.”
He said the project was about finding a successful model that could be applied to special landscapes across the State and another pilot was planned for the Burren, details of which will be announced later in the year.
Separate studies published last year by the Heritage Council and Fáilte Ireland concluded there was an urgent need for clear guidelines on land use.
The studies also found that Ireland was the only country in western Europe that had not specifically legislated for managing landscape on a national level.
“With or without the new motorway,” said Mr Starrett, “the Tara Skryne landscape is very special and it deserves special attention to ensure that future decisions and changes are made using the best tools available.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The project, which will be carried out by the Heritage Council in conjunction with Meath County Council, will develop a landscape management plan and designate a landscape conservation area.
Initial funding of €25,000 is being provided by the Heritage Council and the local authority. Further funding is expected from the Department of the Environment next year. The end cost is expected to be about €125,000.
The project will begin in the autumn and is expected to be completed in 18 to 24 months. It will examine current and potential land use and develop a plan for the area. The project will have community input and will be led by the county council.
Heritage Council chief executive Michael Starrett described the project as an important step towards the realisation of a national landscape strategy.
“Landscape management is about accommodating change and development. It provides a much more holistic approach than the current model, to planning how we manage and develop the landscape where we live. It enables local communities to play an essential role in managing their own area, and has been very successful when introduced in other European countries.”
He said the project was about finding a successful model that could be applied to special landscapes across the State and another pilot was planned for the Burren, details of which will be announced later in the year.
Separate studies published last year by the Heritage Council and Fáilte Ireland concluded there was an urgent need for clear guidelines on land use.
The studies also found that Ireland was the only country in western Europe that had not specifically legislated for managing landscape on a national level.
“With or without the new motorway,” said Mr Starrett, “the Tara Skryne landscape is very special and it deserves special attention to ensure that future decisions and changes are made using the best tools available.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Tuesday, 15 July 2008
Top archaeologists urge protection of iconic Tara
THE World Archaeological Congress (WAC) has urged the Government to ensure that no large commercial or residential development is allowed along the route of the controversial M3 motorway.
And the forum, made up of practising archaeologists, has said that excavations carried out along the motorway route in Co Meath -- which runs near the hill of Tara -- were performed to the "highest professional standards".
Last week it was claimed that archaeologists were told to alter their reports to minimise the importance of ancient sites found during excavations, a claim denied by the National Roads Authority (NRA). Yesterday the WAC said it would carry out a report to "sift out" any "misinformation" in relation to the controversial road project.
In a statement issued yesterday, following a week-long gathering at UCD, the organisation said it was opposed to any further development along the stretch of motorway in the Tara/Skryne Valley, and called on the Government to develop protection measures for the site.
"Tara has significance far beyond Ireland itself," President of the WAC, Professor Claire Smith said.
"Its iconic significance derives from its unique cultural character . . . The WAC strongly encourages the Irish Government to instigate formal protection measures for this area and to consider nominating Tara for inscription as a World Heritage Site.
"Prior to the holding of the sixth World Archaeological Congress we sent two senior representatives to look at the issue of the motorway.
"They found that all the archaeological work has been done to the highest professional standards."
A stakeholders' meeting held to discuss the motorway heard "competing and often contradictory claims", and the WAC had decided to commission a report on the Tara discussions so that lessons could be learned.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
And the forum, made up of practising archaeologists, has said that excavations carried out along the motorway route in Co Meath -- which runs near the hill of Tara -- were performed to the "highest professional standards".
Last week it was claimed that archaeologists were told to alter their reports to minimise the importance of ancient sites found during excavations, a claim denied by the National Roads Authority (NRA). Yesterday the WAC said it would carry out a report to "sift out" any "misinformation" in relation to the controversial road project.
In a statement issued yesterday, following a week-long gathering at UCD, the organisation said it was opposed to any further development along the stretch of motorway in the Tara/Skryne Valley, and called on the Government to develop protection measures for the site.
"Tara has significance far beyond Ireland itself," President of the WAC, Professor Claire Smith said.
"Its iconic significance derives from its unique cultural character . . . The WAC strongly encourages the Irish Government to instigate formal protection measures for this area and to consider nominating Tara for inscription as a World Heritage Site.
"Prior to the holding of the sixth World Archaeological Congress we sent two senior representatives to look at the issue of the motorway.
"They found that all the archaeological work has been done to the highest professional standards."
A stakeholders' meeting held to discuss the motorway heard "competing and often contradictory claims", and the WAC had decided to commission a report on the Tara discussions so that lessons could be learned.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Thursday, 23 August 2007
Tara group fury as M3 is finally given green light
RELIEF is finally coming down the road for thousands of urban sprawl commuters stuck in horrendous gridlock between Meath and Dublin.
But the decision yesterday to allow the controversial €800m M3 tolled motorway be built over a national monument has angered objectors who vowed to continue their battle in Irish courts and at EU level.
The National Roads Authority welcomed the Bord Pleanala decision, pointing out that the existing N3 road has one of the highest crash death records in the country, more than 50pc higher than the average main national route.
The new motorway would be far safer, the NRA said. There will be a toll of €1.30 for car drivers.
An NRA spokesman also said the motorway, work on which has already started at the northern and southern ends, passes further from the Hill of Tara that the existing road.
The M3, which has been delayed for several years because of legal challenges, will run 60km from Clonee to Kells and is due to be completed by 2011. The motorway will bypass the towns of Dunboyne, Dunshaughlin, Navan and Kells.
However, the TaraWatch action group said it planned to make an immediate appeal to the European Commission over the decision of An Bord Pleanala to allow the M3 motorway to be built over the newly discovered Lismullin national monument.
The decision means that the site, close to the Hill of Tara, will be examined and recorded by archaeologists before the road is constructed on top of it.
The Lismullin site consists of two circular enclosures, the largest 80m in diameter, and dates from somewhere between 1000BC to 400AD. Last month, the NRA submitted its plans to preserve the site 'by record' to Bord Pleanala. This means the NRA archaeologists will examine it in detail and then build the M3 over it.
The decision was approved by the outgoing Environment Minister Dick Roche and his successor John Gormley, the Green Party leader, said his hands were tied as the decision had been taken.
An Bord Pleanala approved the Lismullin action yesterday on the grounds that the plan did not constitute a material alteration to the M3 scheme which it had already approved. The authority said it took account of the order by the Environment Minister that the site would be fully excavated and recorded.
This was the last planning obstacle to the construction of the road which has been dogged by delays lasting several years because of legal challenges.
TaraWatch said it was taking legal advice on how to make a direct application to the EU, and ask them to step in and bring the demolition works to a halt. Members are also taking legal advice on whether it will be possible to get an injunction in the Irish courts, to give time to the EU to pursue their legal action.
Spokesman Vincent Salafia said: "The decision of the Bord was made without any public consultation or opportunity for independent assessment to be given.
"That is exactly why the EU is saying the decision to demolish the site is illegal."
Irish Independent
But the decision yesterday to allow the controversial €800m M3 tolled motorway be built over a national monument has angered objectors who vowed to continue their battle in Irish courts and at EU level.
The National Roads Authority welcomed the Bord Pleanala decision, pointing out that the existing N3 road has one of the highest crash death records in the country, more than 50pc higher than the average main national route.
The new motorway would be far safer, the NRA said. There will be a toll of €1.30 for car drivers.
An NRA spokesman also said the motorway, work on which has already started at the northern and southern ends, passes further from the Hill of Tara that the existing road.
The M3, which has been delayed for several years because of legal challenges, will run 60km from Clonee to Kells and is due to be completed by 2011. The motorway will bypass the towns of Dunboyne, Dunshaughlin, Navan and Kells.
However, the TaraWatch action group said it planned to make an immediate appeal to the European Commission over the decision of An Bord Pleanala to allow the M3 motorway to be built over the newly discovered Lismullin national monument.
The decision means that the site, close to the Hill of Tara, will be examined and recorded by archaeologists before the road is constructed on top of it.
The Lismullin site consists of two circular enclosures, the largest 80m in diameter, and dates from somewhere between 1000BC to 400AD. Last month, the NRA submitted its plans to preserve the site 'by record' to Bord Pleanala. This means the NRA archaeologists will examine it in detail and then build the M3 over it.
The decision was approved by the outgoing Environment Minister Dick Roche and his successor John Gormley, the Green Party leader, said his hands were tied as the decision had been taken.
An Bord Pleanala approved the Lismullin action yesterday on the grounds that the plan did not constitute a material alteration to the M3 scheme which it had already approved. The authority said it took account of the order by the Environment Minister that the site would be fully excavated and recorded.
This was the last planning obstacle to the construction of the road which has been dogged by delays lasting several years because of legal challenges.
TaraWatch said it was taking legal advice on how to make a direct application to the EU, and ask them to step in and bring the demolition works to a halt. Members are also taking legal advice on whether it will be possible to get an injunction in the Irish courts, to give time to the EU to pursue their legal action.
Spokesman Vincent Salafia said: "The decision of the Bord was made without any public consultation or opportunity for independent assessment to be given.
"That is exactly why the EU is saying the decision to demolish the site is illegal."
Irish Independent
Friday, 15 December 2006
Magazine on ancient discoveries launched by NRA
The Irish Times article on the new NRA mag SEANDA:
A new magazine detailing the latest discoveries by the National Roads Authority's (NRA) archaeological team was launched yesterday.
Seanda, the first annual archaeology magazine produced by the NRA, was launched in Dublin by Minister for Transport Martin Cullen.
The magazine features some of the main sites and artefacts found by the NRA's archaeological team over the years. The NRA spends close to €20 million on uncovering and excavating archaeological sites each year; several hundred sites have been discovered so far in 2006.
"There's 170,000 known archaeological sites in the country and that really is the tip of the iceberg," said Dáire O'Rourke, head of archaeology at the NRA, yesterday. "We can find a major archaeological site, maybe one every five kilometres and smaller sites - maybe one every one to two kilometres," she said.
Ms O'Rourke said the magazine serves as a "snapshot" of the sites that have been uncovered in the last year, which include prehistoric settlements and burial grounds. "What we try to do is to identify archaeological sites and then excavate them in advance of construction," she said.
Along the proposed M3 Clonee- North of Kells motorway, early medieval sites, a 13th-century ring brooch and a 19th-century post office were
discovered. Ninety-four archaeological sites were uncovered along the proposed M7 Portlaoise- Castletown and M8 Portlaoise- Cullahill motorway.
Another find featured in the magazine is of about 1,200 skeletons at a cemetery thought to have been in use between the 13th and 15th centuries at Ballyhanna, outside Ballyshannon, Co Donegal. The discovery was made during the building of the N15 Bundoran-Ballyshannon bypass in 2004. A three-year research project, between Donegal County Council, the NRA, Queen's University Belfast and Sligo IT, has been set up to examine the findings.
Seanda is free and will be sent to schools, libraries and local authorities.
A new magazine detailing the latest discoveries by the National Roads Authority's (NRA) archaeological team was launched yesterday.
Seanda, the first annual archaeology magazine produced by the NRA, was launched in Dublin by Minister for Transport Martin Cullen.
The magazine features some of the main sites and artefacts found by the NRA's archaeological team over the years. The NRA spends close to €20 million on uncovering and excavating archaeological sites each year; several hundred sites have been discovered so far in 2006.
"There's 170,000 known archaeological sites in the country and that really is the tip of the iceberg," said Dáire O'Rourke, head of archaeology at the NRA, yesterday. "We can find a major archaeological site, maybe one every five kilometres and smaller sites - maybe one every one to two kilometres," she said.
Ms O'Rourke said the magazine serves as a "snapshot" of the sites that have been uncovered in the last year, which include prehistoric settlements and burial grounds. "What we try to do is to identify archaeological sites and then excavate them in advance of construction," she said.
Along the proposed M3 Clonee- North of Kells motorway, early medieval sites, a 13th-century ring brooch and a 19th-century post office were
discovered. Ninety-four archaeological sites were uncovered along the proposed M7 Portlaoise- Castletown and M8 Portlaoise- Cullahill motorway.
Another find featured in the magazine is of about 1,200 skeletons at a cemetery thought to have been in use between the 13th and 15th centuries at Ballyhanna, outside Ballyshannon, Co Donegal. The discovery was made during the building of the N15 Bundoran-Ballyshannon bypass in 2004. A three-year research project, between Donegal County Council, the NRA, Queen's University Belfast and Sligo IT, has been set up to examine the findings.
Seanda is free and will be sent to schools, libraries and local authorities.
Tuesday, 14 November 2006
Tara Protest March on Satruday the 10th of November
SPEAKER after speaker at the Save Tara Skryne Valley protest march in Navan on Saturday paid tribute to the huge crowd for turning out and supporting them.
They obviously weren’t in the same town a few weeks ago when the march to save Navan’s Fair Green took place. Well over 1,000 marched through Navan for that rally. Around 150 took part in Saturday’s Save Tara demonstration.
Among the participants were Disney characters Mickey Mouse and Shrek, in addition to local public representatives Colr Andy Brennan and Colr Phil Cantwell, Green Party TD Ciaran Cuffe and Tara campaigner Muireann Ni Bhrolochain.
The parade was due to begin at 2pm at the Navan Railway Station yard on Railway Street, a site chosen to draw attention to the lack of a passenger rail line to Dublin. Across the road, patrons of Fulham’s public house were mounting their own counter-demonstration. On a placard, they had written slogans in support of the motorway.
“We want the road. We need jobs. We don’t want traffic jams,” they shouted over at the protestors, who were busy blowing up green and gold balloons, and face-painting. Ciaran Cuffe, Green TD, wasn’t sure which side of the street to stand on, but eventually entered the station yard.
Led off by bodhrans and the Tara Solidarity Vigil and their flame - a group who are camping on the Hill of Tara in solidarity with Dinny Donnelly’s sheep, perhaps - the march eventually began shortly after 2.30pm, and headed down Railway Street, with almost as many people filming and photographing it as there were marching.
Bemused shoppers and passers-by looked on, and there was even the odd irate spectator letting off steam.
“Save Tara, stop the road,” the marchers chanted. A Skryne man on Trimgate Street wondered why he couldn’t see any Skryne people in it, before spotting one or two. The gathering point for the rally was at Dunnes Stores, where speakers climbed up on a bale of straw in a pick-up van to address the “marvellous crowd” that had turned out.
TARA stands for ‘There Are Reasonable Alternatives’, Ciaran Cuffe told the gathering, and other speakers included Percy Jordan, a farmer from the Tara area; Muireann Ni Bhrolchain, a lecturer in Celtic studies at NUI Maynooth; Green Party senate candidate Martin Hogan from Kildare, and Damien Cassidy, a rail line campaigner, as well as Colr Phil Cantwell, Trim.
Communications Minister, local TD Noel Dempsey, was the target of the speeches by Ms Ni Bhrolochain and Colr Cantwell.
The rally concluded after an hour with Mickey Mouse and Shrek dancing outside Dunnes Stores.
They obviously weren’t in the same town a few weeks ago when the march to save Navan’s Fair Green took place. Well over 1,000 marched through Navan for that rally. Around 150 took part in Saturday’s Save Tara demonstration.
Among the participants were Disney characters Mickey Mouse and Shrek, in addition to local public representatives Colr Andy Brennan and Colr Phil Cantwell, Green Party TD Ciaran Cuffe and Tara campaigner Muireann Ni Bhrolochain.
The parade was due to begin at 2pm at the Navan Railway Station yard on Railway Street, a site chosen to draw attention to the lack of a passenger rail line to Dublin. Across the road, patrons of Fulham’s public house were mounting their own counter-demonstration. On a placard, they had written slogans in support of the motorway.
“We want the road. We need jobs. We don’t want traffic jams,” they shouted over at the protestors, who were busy blowing up green and gold balloons, and face-painting. Ciaran Cuffe, Green TD, wasn’t sure which side of the street to stand on, but eventually entered the station yard.
Led off by bodhrans and the Tara Solidarity Vigil and their flame - a group who are camping on the Hill of Tara in solidarity with Dinny Donnelly’s sheep, perhaps - the march eventually began shortly after 2.30pm, and headed down Railway Street, with almost as many people filming and photographing it as there were marching.
Bemused shoppers and passers-by looked on, and there was even the odd irate spectator letting off steam.
“Save Tara, stop the road,” the marchers chanted. A Skryne man on Trimgate Street wondered why he couldn’t see any Skryne people in it, before spotting one or two. The gathering point for the rally was at Dunnes Stores, where speakers climbed up on a bale of straw in a pick-up van to address the “marvellous crowd” that had turned out.
TARA stands for ‘There Are Reasonable Alternatives’, Ciaran Cuffe told the gathering, and other speakers included Percy Jordan, a farmer from the Tara area; Muireann Ni Bhrolchain, a lecturer in Celtic studies at NUI Maynooth; Green Party senate candidate Martin Hogan from Kildare, and Damien Cassidy, a rail line campaigner, as well as Colr Phil Cantwell, Trim.
Communications Minister, local TD Noel Dempsey, was the target of the speeches by Ms Ni Bhrolochain and Colr Cantwell.
The rally concluded after an hour with Mickey Mouse and Shrek dancing outside Dunnes Stores.
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